Bell police union pushes for investigation of lieutenant

by Corey Moore

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Kurt Owens with the Bell Police Officers Association at a news conference Oct. 28, 2010 displaying an email former city manager Robert Rizzo apparently sent requesting a boost in pay for Lieutenant Ty Henshaw. Corey Moore/KPCC

Members of a police officers union in the city of Bell are pushing for a deeper investigation into one of the city’s top cops.

Members of The Bell Police Officers Association distributed a photocopied picture that indicates what they think of veteran Bell Police Lieutenant Ty Henshaw. The group superimposed his smiling face over a bad apple.

Officers said they want Henshaw suspended because of his unscrupulous — perhaps even corrupt — relationship with former city manager Robert Rizzo, who faces dozens of felony charges.

Members of Bell’s police union showed an e-mail Rizzo apparently sent to city administrators asking them to boost Henshaw’s pay to $10,500 a month. In that same e-mail, Rizzo directs the city to pay — in full — Henshaw’s deferred compensation plan and said in a postscript that Henshaw is the only one he could completely trust.

Union rep Kurt Owens has been a Bell cop for more than twenty years. He said authorities may uncover more illicit activities.

“We’d like the District Attorney’s Office to keep investigating the allegations of voter fraud which I’m sure they will," Owens maintained. "Any other outside agencies that want to come in and investigate this, hey come on in. Looks like everybody’s in right now anyway.

"If Ty Henshaw goes away, then we’ll know that there was some type of corruption found, but we’re calling for the city to do something and we’re not going to stop requesting that until it’s done.”

Henshaw and the Bell City Police Department have not yet responded to the police union’s claims.